As a song writer, do you ever ask yourself whether to write the music or the lyrics first? Both have obvious benefits, but find out what I do and why.

1. WHAT TO WRITE FIRST… THE
LYRICS OR THE MUSIC…? THAT
IS THE QUESTION…
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

2. AT LEAST, THIS IS A QUESTION
THAT RESONATES A LOT WITH
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR, SINCE
BOTH OPTIONS WILL REALLY
CHANGE YOUR SONG.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

3. IF YOU’RE STARTING THE SONG
WRITING PROCESS FOR A NEW
SONG – ALL THINGS EQUAL –
STARTING WITH MUSIC WILL
GIVE YOU A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT RESULT AS OPPOSED
TO STARTING WITH LYRICS.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

4. JUST TO BE CLEAR:
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

5. MUSIC – THE INSTRUMENTS
AND THE MELODY FOR THE
VOICE
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

6. LYRICS – THE ACTUAL WORDS
OF THE SONG
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

7. IN ORDER TO BE COMPLETELY
OPEN WITH YOU, I HAVE NO
PREFERENCE AS TO WHICH ONE
YOU CHOOSE TO DO; YOU CAN
EVEN MOVE BACK AND FORTH
FROM ONE TO ANOTHER;
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

8. START WITH A HOOK, FIND A
FEW LINES, AND ALTERNATE
UNTIL YOUR SONG FINISHES.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

9. BUT FOR ME, THE APPROACH
THAT SEEMS TO WORK FOR
ME IS MUSIC FIRST, BUT WITH
A BIG DISCLAIMER.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

10. THIS DISCLAIMER WILL SOUND
LIKE A CONTRADICTION, OR A
PARADOX, BUT FOR NOW I’LL
TELL YOU WHY I START WITH
THE MUSIC FIRST:
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

11. MUSIC IS REALLY THE PALLET
FOR THE WORDS TO LIE UPON,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE
EVERY SINGLE PART OF YOUR
MELODY.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

12. ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR SHELL,
YOU CAN FILL IT WITH ANY
COLOUR, TEXTURE, OR FLAVOR
THAT YOU WISH (THE LYRICS).
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

13. YOU’RE ABLE TO MATCH THE
(PRE-DETERMINED) LEVEL OF
ENERGY FOR EACH PART OF
YOUR SONG.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

14. USING A POWERFUL LINE
DURING A POWERFUL PART OF
THE SONG
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

15. USING A MORE SUBTLE LINE
DURING A PART WITH LESS
ENERGY
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

16. THERE’S NO NEED TO CHANGE
YOUR LYRICS AFTERWARDS (IF
YOU BUILD THE LYRICS FIRST,
YOU OFTEN NEED TO CHANGE
THINGS AROUND IN ORDER TO
MAKE IT SOUND RIGHT)
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

17. I’LL KNOW THE LEVELS OF
INTENSITIES AND WHERE TO
PUT THEM IN MY MUSIC
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

18. I’LL BE ABLE TO RE-CREATE THE
EXACT EMOTION I WANT
THROUGH MUSIC
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

19. THE SONG WILL FIT BETTER IN
THE ALBUM, SINCE THE
SONG’S THEME WILL
CONTINUE FROM THE
PREVIOUS SONG, AND WILL BE
CONTINUED BY THE NEXT
SONG
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

20. BASICALLY, I’M TELLING A
STORY THROUGHOUT THE
ALBUM, AND EACH SONG
PLAYS A ROLE. IT ONLY WORKS
WHEN YOUR SONGS ARE IN
ORDER
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

21. SO MY TIP FOR YOU IS TO
FIGURE OUT THE MEANING OF
YOUR SONG BEFORE YOU
START WRITING THE MUSIC,
WHICH YOU’LL DO BEFORE
WRITING THE LYRICS OF YOUR
SONG.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

22. OF COURSE, WHILE YOU’RE
WRITING THE MUSIC, YOU’LL
HAVE LYRICAL IDEAS, SO
WRITE THEM DOWN WHEN
THEY COME UP.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

23. TYPICALLY, WHEN I FINISH THE
MUSIC OF ONE SONG, I’LL
HAVE 20-30% OF THE LYRICS
FINISHED.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

24. THIS MAKES THE FINAL TASK
EASIER SINCE I WANT TO
SIMPLY PICK UP THE LYRICS
WHERE THEY ARE, AND FINISH
THEM.
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

25. THE ORIGINAL POST:
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSO
NG.COM/UNCATEGORIZED/W
RITE-FIRST-LYRICS-MUSIC-
QUESTION/
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM

26. IN ORDER TO FIND
EVERYTHING YOU’LL EVER
NEED IN THE AREA OF
WRITING GREAT SONGS:
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM
By: Dan Amerson
WWW.WRITEYOURNEXTHITSONG.COM